Otto Preminger became famous for his battles with the censors and for his provocative films, many of them crime dramas. One of my favorite film noir movies was his 1944 movie Laura and his ability with a camera made him one of Hollywood’s greatest directors. Anatomy of a Murder allowed Preminger to not only battle the censors with the movie’s frank discussion of rape but also to call on his experiences studying law. Preminger always strove for realism in his movies and his experiences in law and his choice to shoot the entire film on location in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan give the proceedings the feeling of the utmost realism. It’s a very realistic depiction of a trial and it is a long movie and yet it is incredibly entertaining and one of Preminger and indeed Hollywood’s best crime movies. The reason for this partly stems from the realism and the choice to shoot on location. The setting in the UP gives the film a very unique and interesting atmosphere and gives it a true sense of setting. The other reason for this film’s greatness stems from the caliber of its acting. The film depicts a lawyer played by James Stewart and his attempt to defend a man convicted of murder with a plea of insanity. The murder motive was the fact that the man killed had raped the defendant’s wife. Stewart plays the lawyer perfectly and with an ambiguity that leads us to question him and wonder whether he is really doing the right thing. This gives the movie some added depth and also allows Jimmy Stewart to very slyly play a very complex character. Every other performance is quite good but the truly standout performance, other than Stewart’s, is George c. Scott as a prosecutor. He is the only man I have ever seen who can almost steal a film from Jimmy Stewart. He owns every scene he is in and he and Stewart complement each other wonderfully and give the theatricality of this trial true entertainment value. It is captivating to watch Stewart and Scott spar, two giants of their profession at the top of their game. Preminger’s direction is also very good with the camera placement in the courtroom absolutely fantastic. Add to the location acting and directing a score by the famous jazz composer Duke Ellington and you have one for the ages! 5/5!
